


The Cursed Gift (OC/Benimaru)

by Ia Laziz (chilolarca)



Category: Fire Force - Fandom, 炎炎ノ消防隊 | Enen no Shouboutai | Fire Force (Anime)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-19 10:27:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22209544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chilolarca/pseuds/Ia%20Laziz
Summary: Homare Ouka, a Fire Soldier under Company 7, wields her 2nd Generation ability to not only protect Asakusa from threats but also to mend the wounds of those she loves. Ouka survived the disaster that befell Asakusa two years ago, which took her father's life and strangely bequeathed her with 3rd Generation ability. She dances through a journey to learn the mystery behind her power and the world of black flames that threatens to steal it from her.PS: If you've never watch Fire Force but still want to read this, I suggest watching it from Episode 11 or read it from Chapter 38 :)
Relationships: Homare Ouka (the OC)/Benimaru
Comments: 11
Kudos: 43





	1. OC Biodata

Homare Ouka

 **Age:** 22 || **D.O.B:** 2 April  
**Hair color:** Black || **Eye color:** Green  
**Weight:** 55 kg || **Height:** 158 cm

 **Hobbies:** Reading, cooking, dancing

 **Likes:** Isolated places, bookstores/libraries, rain, festivals, spicy food, sweets.  
**Dislikes:** People who disrespect Infernals, sour/bitter food, insects, lightning.

 **Professional status:** Special Fire Force Company 7, kannushi of Asahanada

 **Family:**  
Homare Shinya (Father, deceased)  
Unnamed mother, deceased  
Homare Issei (Eldest brother, MIA)

 **Type:** Second and Third Generation (artificial), Adola Burst wielder

**Techniques:**

**Suzaku no Mai:-**  
Shinwa (absorbs fire within 100-metre distance as energy and fire tornado body shield)  
Ookami (conjures a wolf made of flame that act as both guardian and weapon)  
Akane (covers her three-section staff in flame)  
Amenonuhoko (a powerful version of Akane where the flame turns into blue flame forming a huge double-sided blade)

 **Shirasagi no Mai:-**  
Jouka (cancels out fire within 100-metre distance)  
Aizome (amplifies a person’s will of flames by the sound of her kagura bells)


	2. Prologue

_Asakusa, Tokyo, Solar Year 196_

The town was engulfed in flame. Infernalization happened almost everywhere. The hikeshi team was having a hard time putting every Infernals to rest while saving townspeople from the fire. Everybody was scared and confused as they didn’t know the reason behind the calamity. Like the rest of the world, Infernalization is a normal thing in Asakusa, but to see so many people turning into Infernals in one night raised questions and fear among the people and fire fighters.

Benimaru and Konro rushed toward a shrine on the hill after receiving a report on a fire breaking out.

“You think someone has turned into an Infernal?” Benimaru asked matter-of-factly.

Konro didn’t even spare him a glance as he replied hesitantly. “Don’t make me think of that possibility right now.”

Whatever they saw at the top of the hill answered Benimaru’s questions.

Fire ravaged the entire place. The shrine stood proud despite being swallowed by flame, so did a middle-aged man outside the shrine. His body was burning and charred, no longer human but still alive. He stood unmoving as he stared at a gravely injured woman lying on the ground. Fire danced around them but never got any closer, as if an invisible dome protected them from the fire.

“Ouka!” Benimaru shouted.  
  
Konro grabbed his shoulder before he could run at the woman. “Wait. That Infernal though,” he trailed off as realization came slow but clear.

As if to affirm whatever is in Konro’s mind, the Infernal took a few steps away from the woman. He raised his head to look at them for a second before lowering his gaze on the woman again.

“Ou…ka…”

Konro and Benimaru were shocked upon hearing the Infernal’s voice. They immediately figured out the identity of the person who turned into the Infernal—Homare Shinya, the shrine kannushi. And the unconscious woman is his daughter, Homare Ouka.

“But Homare san is a Second Generation. How can a Second Generation turn into an Infernal?” Konro mulled over.

Benimaru didn’t waste his time thinking as he calmly walked to the Infernal. The Infernal spun his head at him, as if knowing what was about to happen and that he was ready for it.

“Look at this mess, Homare,” Benimaru said rowdily. “What else can I offer you when you’ve got everything covered, huh?”

He used his pyrokinesis to lift a few rocks in midair before throwing them at the shrine to destroy it. “Take the shrine as well.”

When he stood right in front of the Infernal, he showed him a wistful smile and talked in a softer manner.

“Rest assured, Ouka is safe now. Way to hang in there.”

Benimaru stabbed Homare Shinya’s heart with his bare hand, finally putting him to rest.

The latter looked at his daughter one last time as his body turned into ashes and flew away with the wind.

Konro carried Homare Ouka on his back and told Benimaru that they should bring her to safety now.


	3. Chapter 3

_Asakusa, Tokyo, Solar Year 198_

“Too sweet,” Benimaru said to himself as he took a bite on the daifuku piled up neatly beside him.

Just then Ouka showed up at Company 7’s door. She beamed a smile and gave the daifuku an approving look. “Heh… Konro told me the old hag made us daifuku, so I’m here to have my share.”

Hinata and Hikage came running to welcome her. “Good job, Ouka!” They greeted her cheerfully.

“Thank you Hina, Hika,” Ouka replied happily. She sat next to the serving of daifuku and grabbed a piece.

Benimaru stole a glance at Ouka’s kagura suzu, which she placed behind her on the ground. “I guess the funeral went well then.” He was referring to Kantaro’s funeral—the ostentatious old man he put to rest after becoming an Infernal.

Ouka opened her mouth to speak but the 8th squad came through the door. They just returned from Kantaro’s funeral and was surprised to see her in 7th’s HQ, since they saw her at the funeral before. And they didn’t see her with anyone from the 7th. Yet here she was casually eating daifuku with the hikeshi captain as if they were best friends. Well, they weren’t that close but had known each other for more than a decade.

Benimaru took this opportunity to introduce the 8th squad to Ouka. “Oh yes. You were at the shrine all this time. These people from Company 8 are paying us a visit to investigate the Evangelist thing.”

Ouka got on her feet and saluted the 8th squad. Her action took the latter by surprise, knowing that the 7th is a team of proto-nationalist hikeshi. They returned the salute anyway.

“Homare Ouka from Company 7.”

“Captain Obi from Company 8,” Obi spoke on behalf of his team. “This is Lieutenant Hinawa, Maki, Tamaki, Shinra and Arthur.” He gestured to each of them.

Ouka gave them a quick smile, then sat back to enjoy her daifuku. She offered the daifuku to them, but they politely declined.

“We saw you at Kantaro san’s funeral just now,” Obi asked. “Is it some sort of ritual? Well, the way you moved around with the kagura suzu.”

Yes,” Ouka replied with a full mouth. She swallowed the daifuku and went on, “You see, nobody chooses to be an Infernal. When one turns into Infernals, he/she suffers not by their own will. Asakusa citizens offer buildings to the Infernal, Benimaru put the Infernal to rest.”

Ouka grabbed her kagura suzu and showed it at the 8th squad. “I offer my ritual dances to get rid of any bad energy during an Infernal’s funeral.”

“Fufu… Ouka also kick asses with her dances. Bad people don’t stand a chance against her,” Hina and Hika acclaimed playfully. 

Ouka thanked the twins with a small grin. Then she stood up to make her leave. “Now, the boys would be busy with repair works soon. I should head to the kitchen and see what I can make for everyone’s dinner.” She stopped halfway to ask her captain, “Are we going to serve Company 8 too, Benimaru?”

“Yeah.”

Later that evening, Ouka went shopping for groceries. Benimaru, who was keeping watch over the repair work, saw her by chance and decided to help her carry the goods.

Ouka started the conversation first. “Don’t you think the 8th is a bunch of pleasant people? Unlike the rest of the Special Fire Force.” Her tone dropped into a scorn as she said the last sentence.

“That’s what Konro thinks too.” Benimaru uttered in agreement. 

“We can always trust Konro.” Ouka added with a reassuring smile.

A short “Hm.” escaped from Benimaru’s mouth as his mind began to wander somewhere else.

Ouka looked at him deliberately. “Getting worried again?” Benimaru cast a sideways glance at her, causing her to sigh silently and shifted her eyes to the sky. “Well, can’t say that I’m not worried either. Konro’s been working hard all this time, even after that incident. But you shouldn’t worry all the time, Benimaru. After all—”

She trailed off as she noticed a small crowd at the roadside. Benimaru followed her gaze and immediately recognized the people huddled together. They were people from Company 7. Unlike Ouka who approached the crowd out of curiosity, he simply stayed at his spot waiting for her.

What Ouka saw at the center of attention was a blonde teenager with blue plasma blazing on the tip of his finger. She recalled him being a part of Company 8. “Whoa,” she whispered as she observed him welded a metal pipe with his blue plasma.

“I’m amazing, alright,” Arthur shot her a smug grin, blowing imaginary smoke off his finger. “Nothing that this Hero Knight can’t fix.”

“Eh… That’s cool.” Ouka stifled a giggle and headed back to where Benimaru waited for her. “Good job, everyone! You guys are getting a feast tonight.” She waved at the crowd, who waved back at her, including Arthur from the 8th.

Benimaru talked to her as they walked again. “You got your attention on that kid, don’t you? Is it because of his blue flame?”

Ouka shrugged her shoulders. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

“Did you tell him about yours?’

“I barely know him. Why would I babble about myself right after we speak for the first time?”

“Sometimes you get carried away while talking.” Benimaru got a dirty look from Ouka, so he added with the faintest teasing smile, “What? I’m just stating a fact.”

“Only with certain people,” Ouka retorted. “It’s normal to feel comfortable talking to people I’ve known for a long time.”

Her mouth curved into a cheeky smile. “Well, you should feel lucky to be one of those certain people.”

Benimaru showed his disgruntled face at her. “I never asked for a loquacious person like you to be born in the same town as me.”

“Sometimes I want to whack your head like how we often did when we were kids,” Ouka fired back with her own disgruntled expression.

“Then do it.”

“No, I can’t. The Demolishing King of Asakusa would beat me to a pulp.”

Benimaru looked away with a resigned sigh. “For God’s sake, don’t call me that.”

She tilted her head at him for a second. “But you are the strongest. Everybody admires and respects you for it, including me.” This time she flashed a genuine smile at him. 

“Asakusa would do better with Konro and you, rather than a beast like me.” Benimaru stared into the distance as he measured the possibilities in his words.


	4. Chapter 4

After a luscious dinner made by Ouka, both Company 7 and 8 went outside to chill out. The weather was nice in addition to the brilliant starry sky and a quieter Asakusa at night.

Ouka didn’t join the others as she stayed inside to check on Konro’s health condition, then deciding to call it a day. 

She was enjoying a hot bath when a loud explosive sound from outside shook her. She wasted no time leaving the bathtub and put on her clothes to see what happened.

“What’s going on?” Ouka barked as soon as she stepped out of the HQ doorway. A hikeshi informed her that an explosion happened somewhere in the town, and Company 8 already headed toward it.

Ouka took a few steps forward, her sight fixated on the smoke billowing in the distance. 

_That flame is…_ She clicked her tongue in irritation before giving an instruction to the hikeshi. “You guys inform the situation to Konro. I’ll go check things out.”  
  
“Wait.”

Ouka stopped short and turned around to see Konro behind her. All colors drained from his face as he struggled to keep himself on his feet, holding on to the door pane.  
  
“Konro…”

“I’m fine, Ouka. Just bring me with you. I need to see to this matter as well.”

Ouka was reluctant to let him go due to his bad condition, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse as she felt his determination and concern for everyone’s safety. 

A heavy sigh escaped from her mouth. “Alright then.” She held out her hand at Konro.

On the other hand, Benimaru and Company 8 were fighting against each other due to a huge misunderstanding. The explosion earlier was caused by Benimaru, who tried to attack Obi and Hinawa after he overheard their conversation. He was enraged by the fact that they both were the ones who turned Kantaro into an Infernal—Or at least that was what he heard. 

“Why would somebody who knows the terror of flames gratuitously turn Kantaro into an Infernal?’ Benimaru called Obi out.

“I’m telling you, there’s been some kind of mistake!” Obi replied, his voice sharp with urgency.

A few matoi covered in flame flew out of nowhere and darted at Obi, as if they were giant bullets controlled by Benimaru’s 2nd Generation ability.

“I clearly saw you! There can be no mistake!” 

The brawl between two Special Fire Force captains went on, until Konro and Ouka finally arrived to settle things down.

“What in the world is all this ruckus?” Konro demanded.

“Word is that the 8th folks are the ones who changed Kantaro into an Infernal,” Hikage told him nonchalantly.

“Waka snapped and started this huge fight,” Hinata added. The twins exchanged gleeful looks between themselves.

Both Konro and Ouka found it hard to process what was happening. They hadn’t known Company 8 for long, but they did develop a bit of trust in them. The 8th squad didn’t just help Company 7 to repair all the ruined buildings this evening, they also respected the beliefs of Asakusa people and their bizarre way of dealing with Infernals. Their personalities also seemed to be nice and genuine, especially to Konro since he was the person in Company 7 who interacted the most with them.

“You won’t go down without a full-fledged attack, huh?” Benimaru’s expression turned grim as he backed away from Obi. “Then I’m done playing around.” He shifted his stance, preparing to launch one of his pyrokinesis skills.

“Iai Chop, Form Seven: Sun Wheel.”

The rest of the 8th were curious and extremely worried at what was about to hit their captain. Ouka and Konro stepped out without hesitation; Ouka getting ready to defend the 8th squad while Konro rushed at Benimaru to stop him. They both knew how deadly his skill was, and their first instinct was to stop him from using it.

“Waka! Don’t!” Konro ordered.

“Step aside, both of you. Don’t stop me.” Benimaru’s eyes were dead serious as they gleamed in red.

This time Ouka opened her mouth to speak. “Calm down, Waka! We don’t know if they’re truly responsible for—”

“I saw these two plotting it out!”

“How many times do I have to tell you, you’re mistaken?” Obi interfered.

Losing his last ounce of patience, Benimaru’s red eyes gleamed brighter as he swung his hand to launch his skill. "Take this!"

But he was interrupted by Konro suddenly grabbing his arm. They struggled for a few seconds until Konro began to lose his footing. Benimaru froze upon realizing that Konro was suffering from his Tephrosis. He immediately ordered Hikage and Hinata to get a cooling blanket for Konro. 

“Waka, why don’t you at least hear out what the 8th has to say?” Konro uttered.

Benimaru noticed that Konro’s old wounds were charring again, so he forced himself to cool down and simply obeyed. He didn’t want Konro to overexert himself for trying to end the fight. He lifted his head to look at Ouka, who ran toward them after seeing Konro in pain.

“Keep watch on Company 8, Ouka,” he ordered.

A flicker of annoyance on her face as she came up to him, too fast for an impression before she heaved a short sigh. “Aye, captain.”

Konro saw that Benimaru’s eyes never left her as she went back toward the 8th. His mouth quirked at the corner. “Find a time to talk to her. I’m sure she’s mad at you for being reckless this time,” he said, keeping his tone as casual as possible.

“She can talk to my fists for all she wants. I’m just protecting my turf.” Although his tone was bold and resisting, he stared into the distance discouragingly.

Ouka chose to be outside while Konro, Benimaru and the 8th discussed the matter in Konro’s room where he was resting. She wasn’t in her best mental state and she wouldn’t want to act foolishly or hurt anyone by mistake—Not even toward Benimaru, when he was the sole reason she was infuriated. She sat on a bench next to the door and looked up at the sky, relishing the beauty of the stars and the moon. The next moment, she simmered down and felt like singing to put her in her feelings.

Meanwhile, Benimaru left the discussion first to go investigate the general store where Obi and Hinawa claimed to be before the ruckus started. As soon as he walked through the door, he caught a familiar voice singing and paused to see who’s the person. 

An “Ah,” escaped from Benimaru and Ouka’s mouths as both were surprised to see each other. Ouka immediately stopped singing and sat straight. She averted her sight from Benimaru. Benimaru brought his arms together to hide them in his sleeves, but he didn’t look away from Ouka.

“I thought you already went to your room,” he said.

“I need some fresh air before joining the meeting,” Ouka replied with a weak laugh.

Benimaru stared daggers at her. “So you’re mad at me.” 

Ouka’s eyes widened for a second before she lifted her head to give him a forfeited smile. “I guess I’m very bad at hiding my feelings and thoughts.”

A beat of silence as the two tried to figure out what was the other thinking about. If Benimaru felt awkward by it, he didn’t show it though. He just kept the conversation going on.

“If you’re really angry, then come at me with all you got.”

Another beat of silence as Ouka spoke. “Your recklessness always gets on my nerves. Back then, you were nothing but a total idiot.” Her tone grew more impatient as she went on.

“You attacked Captain Obi and Lieutenant Hinawa as if they were 100% guilty for Kantaro’s transformation into an Infernal. What if they weren’t guilty at all? What if you’ve been deceived by some sort of impostors or something?” She rose up and put her hands on her hips. “You didn’t just hurt a bunch of people tonight, you also caused an unnecessary mess. If it isn’t for Konro’s effort, none of us would know what kind of fate awaits the 8th folks, thanks to your Sun Wheel.”

Benimaru opened his mouth to speak, but Ouka beat him to it as she approached him. “I don’t want to lecture you about this, Waka. Enough with the fact that I’m concerned for you as a friend. Your rashness can hurt other people—And even yourself. I know you’re incredibly strong and capable in protecting yourself, but that rashness of yours might get you into enemies’ traps or unwanted accidents. That’s why Konro always ends up being caught in your mess.” 

She swung her leg upwards to kick his waist, but he blocked it easily with his hand by grabbing her foot. She expected it anyway, being aware of their difference in physical strength.

Benimaru lowered his gaze to hide it under his lashes. “You sure fuss a lot for someone who mocked me for fussing over Konro’s health.” He continued when Ouka locked eyes with him. “You’re mad because he got hurt when he tried to end the fight, don’t you?”

This time, his expression relaxed a bit. “But that’s why I need Konro and you. I only know how to combat. You two can feel, think more rationally than a beast like me. Between you and I, we both feel bad for what happened to Konro two years ago. But you’re a smart person who avoid from getting into trouble so Konro won’t get caught in it too. Unlike—"

“Unlike you who use your fists and firepower to solve any problems, only to get into a new different problem afterwards,” Ouka cut him short. She had her hands crossed over her chest and a tight smile plastered on her face. “Now will you let go of my foot?”

Benimaru glanced down at her foot in his hand, then back at her. “Follow me to the general store. I’m gonna see the owner to ask a few questions,” he implied.  
  
A low grunt from Ouka. 

Benimaru intended to make her lost her balance by pulling her foot in random directions, but her flexibility and agility helped her to catch up to his sneaky movements.  
“I know you’re tired. Help me with the investigation and I swear all of us can get a good night’s sleep once everything’s settled,” Benimaru insisted.  
  
Ouka sighed and showed him a resigned smile. “Alright, captain.”

He finally let go of her foot. Just then, she suddenly felt a familiar tingling sensation in her chest. Although it was momentary, the intensity of it made her clutch her chest in pain. 

Benimaru noticed what happened and asked with concern, “Oi, are you okay?”

Ouka listened to him but couldn’t respond as she concentrated on a vision that appeared to her. She saw three white clad figures standing before her, their backs facing her. They were watching what seems to be Asakusa engulfed in flame—pure satisfaction displayed on their faces.

“Waka, it’s that thing again,” she muttered nervously, her eyes searching for his. “I had a vision just now. It doesn’t look like good news to me.”

Benimaru placed a supportive hand on her back, calming her down. “Does your chest still hurt?” He went on after Ouka shook her head and no longer clutching her chest. “Explain to me while we head toward the general store. It might be related to our case.”


	5. Chapter 5

“So the vision told you that Asakusa will turn into a sea of flames, right?” Benimaru asked, his arms folded on his chest and hidden under his sleeves.

“Yes,” Ouka answered hesitantly.

Here they are at the middle of the town, watching many Asakusa citizens bantered with each other. These angry townspeople apparently went through the same thing as Benimaru earlier: mistaken identity. 

“I saw you flirting and going out with our neighbor’s daughter!”

“But I was drinking booze with the guys all the time!”

“You fled away without paying for the food!”

“I didn’t even eat at your restaurant today!”

The two hikeshi from Company 7 could only observe in confusion. 

“More like, Asakusa turns into a sea of misunderstanding,” Benimaru commented. He put his hand on the back of his neck and groaned, “This is much harder than putting out stupid fires.”

“Couldn’t agree more. What if this commotion is somehow related to…” Ouka trailed off as a figure hastened toward her from the corner of her eyes. She turned to her left and recognized a woman about the same age as her, seemingly angered.

“Ayuzawa? What happened—” Ouka was rendered speechless when the woman suddenly pointed her index finger right at her face, as if she was found guilty to a crime. 

“What do you think you’re doing, huh? Hanging out with my fiancé at the lake when it was empty and dark like that?” Ayuzawa barked.

A loud “Huh?” escaped from Ouka’s mouth. “W-what do you mean?” she spluttered.

“Don’t act dumb, Ouka. I saw you and him with my naked eyes!” Ayuzawa hissed between her breath, trying to not cry as her eyes began to get moist. “You two were linking arms together, kissing each other’s cheeks so many times that it made me want to puke.” She showed her frustration by putting her hands to her hips and squared up her shoulders.

“You did what?” Benimaru butt in, mildly astonished.

“Waka!” Ouka whirled around. “Remember. This is another mistaken identity case.”

Benimaru closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows? We rarely hang out with each other lately, so I assumed you were busy taking care of the shrine or…” He purposely left his words unfinished with a provocative tone.

“Or what?” Ayuzawa shoved Ouka aside to look at Benimaru. “You think she’s up to something, don’t you? I knew it!”

Ouka sent him a baleful stare. “Look, I would play with you whenever I can. But we need to bring this town back to its peaceful state.” She reached for the three-section staff she kept on her back and pulled it out.

“Staying here wouldn’t solve the problem for me. Benimaru, you get to the bottom of things here while I go inspect other areas. Can you give me some fire?” 

Benimaru generated a huge size of fire on the palm of his hands. “Is this enough?”

She concentrated on the fire until it transforms into a wolf that acts as her guardian and hunter.

“Thanks,” she replied. She took her leave in a rush, ignoring Ayuzawa’s calls along the way.

“Eh, she’s really focused on doing her job,” Benimaru muttered approvingly.

When Ouka had gotten far from her captain and Ayuzawa, she whispered to her wolf, “Is something heading toward us, Garo?”

Garo whined in its own way of saying “No.”

Ouka stopped running to take something out from her pocket. It was a piece of torn white cloth. She made Garo smelled it for a few seconds. “You get the scent? Now go hunt for the person with this scent.” She instructed it.

Garo barked once and leave instantly.

Ouka kept the piece of white cloth back in her pocket, but her grip on it remained. Flashes of memories from two years ago came into her mind unwelcomed; she fought against a man in all-white clothing, the man mysteriously turned her father into an Infernal, Benimaru and Konro came to her rescue, the Asahanada temple was destroyed in the fire.

Rage glared out of her eyes shining in bright emerald green. “If those white clad people are behind all this, I won’t let them go this time.” She pulled her hand out from her pocket to hold her three-section staff with both hands, then hurried along to catch up with Garo.

An intense burst of flame suddenly flared out of nowhere, like a giant pillar emerging from the ground. Ouka skidded to a halt in caution. Another flare appeared. More and more pillars appeared as the previous ones died away seconds right after. 

“Infernals…” she whispered to herself.

_But why there are so many of them at the same time?_

On the other hand, Ouka’s psychic connection to Garo enables her to feel what Garo feels. And the sharp sensation that sent her chills just now screamed bad news on Garo’s side. She whirled around instinctively, as if she knew his whereabout.

 _Looks like whoever did this mess to this town noticed Garo and wiped him out._ She clicked her tongue, slightly irritated. _Even if I go chase them right now, they might not be at the same spot where Garo found them anymore._

A man nearby turned into an Infernal, causing the people around Ouka to start panicking. The Infernalization resulted in another transient pillar of flame that burned its surroundings.

“Calm down, everyone!” Ouka shouted, her eyes flitted everywhere as she watched people running away in different directions. “Don’t go over there! Watch out for Infernals!”  
  
She let out a quiet grunt upon realizing that nobody was listening to her. Just then, a comrade from 7th greeted her and asked if she needed his assistance.

“Where’s Benimaru?” Her expression and voice were calm despite all the chaos going on.  
  
“He’s handling other Infernals at the moment.”

Ouka faced the Infernal and pointed her weapon at it in a valiant manner. “Guess I’ll put him to rest. It’s okay, you may return to your squad and help our folks out.”  
She waited until the guy was gone, then proceed to use her skills. 

“Suzaku no Mai: Shinwa.” 

Ouka stretched out her hands like a pair of spread-out wings. The next second, every fire within a 100-meter range of her surrounding flew toward her and covered her entire body in flame. The flame swirled stronger and stronger until it forms a fire tornado as high as a two-story building. She twirled her three-section staff and pointed it at random nearby buildings. The fire tornado flowed through her weapon before shooting out at the buildings like a huge laser beam and lanced right through them.

“Tell me if you think these buildings aren’t enough for you to go in peace,” she raised her voice high enough for the Infernal to catch her words. “The Demolishing King of Asakusa is kinda busy right now, so I hope you don’t mind being put to rest by the Maiden of Asahanada.”

The Infernal was on his knees wriggling in pain, but he forced himself to lift his gaze at Ouka. There was nothing but two voids of sorrow and pain in his empty eye sockets. Ouka wished to relieve the Infernal’s suffering more than anything. The Infernal slowly stood up and staggered to her, most likely to seek salvation from her.

She took a deep breath and came closer. “Thank you,” her voice dropped into a softer note, “Way to hang in there.” 

Her three-section staff stabbed through his heart in a quick, decisive movement. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, sending silent prayers skyward.

“Alright, now,” she folded her weapon back and left the place in a rush. “Gotta find the captain and tell him to do his job for real.”


	6. Chapter 6

The chaos made it hard for Ouka to find Benimaru though. More people turning into Infernals, more parts of the town razed by the fire, more people getting into confusion and fights. She tried to guide the townspeople to safety but to no avail. The fighting caused everyone to doubt each other. None of them paid heed to her instructions, although they were fully aware of her being someone from Company 7, Asakusa’s very own fire fighter team.

“Am I a joke to you guys?” Ouka retorted alone. 

She gave up on directing the townspeople and decided to help the 7th put away the fires instead. 

“Ah, if only I brought my kagura suzu along,” she muttered to herself, enduring a new irritation she felt. “I could get rid of all this fire with my technique.”

Meanwhile on top of Company 7’s bell tower, Benimaru was enduring his own kind of irritation as Konro advised him to make his resolve as the 7th captain. Konro also prompted him to stop deferring to him all the time. Benimaru couldn’t help the latter, since he’d always look up to Konro even before he became the captain. 

While the people of Asakusa fawned over Benimaru for his pyrokinetic abilities and vigor in combat, he saw Konro as the perfect leader because of his clever insight and structured mind. Yet, Benimaru was made the captain after Konro’s health weakened from a deadly battle with a Demon Infernal two years ago. Benimaru accepted the responsibility begrudgingly, thinking he would never be as a brilliant leader as Konro. All he is ever good at is combat, and if any bad things are about to hit Asakusa he would have no idea to solve it without being hostile or unruly.

After mulling things over, Benimaru instructed Konro to get off the tower. Konro obeyed his young captain with a smile of approval. He was greatly relieved to see Benimaru finally displayed a full-hearted commitment to his job. 

“Someone like me can’t do anything else but tear things down. That’s the best you can expect,” Benimaru confessed. His expression was nonchalant as ever as he watched the town being ravaged by fire, but determination was reflected in his eyes. “I’m going to smash things up.”

Somewhere in the middle of the chaos, joy and satisfaction were reflected in the eyes of a white-clad guy. Instead of running away from the flame or getting into a fight, he remained at a certain spot and observed the people around him with an eerie glee on his face.

Ouka was running across the road with two pails of water when she noticed his figure from the corner of her eye. She immediately paused her steps to confirm his identity. His back was facing her. It didn’t take long for her to recognize him from the vision she had earlier. Rage surged through her as she began to approach him, but a sudden loud blast lured her attention to the night sky above.

“What’s that?” One of the townsfolk asked nervously.

“It’s Benimaru!” A few people responded. Their voices were a mix of relief and excitement.

Ouka couldn’t manage the fierce grin on her face at the sight of Benimaru standing on their bell tower’s roof, which was floating above Asakusa. He probably used his power to tear half of it off the ground and make it fly high enough for everyone in Asakusa to see him.

“What took you so long, Waka?” Although she whispered with a shaky voice, it didn’t come from the feeling of upset or angry. It was the other way around; she was thrilled to see him finally stepping up to get all this over with. 

Benimaru inhaled deeply and screamed his lungs out, “Do you hear me, Asakusa?” He went on when he heard everyone cheering for him. “Right now, our town is under attack from the outside. They make themselves look just like Asakusa folks, then trick us! There’s no way to tell who they are. We are going to get nowhere like this. But… I don’t give a damn!”

More cheers from the townspeople. 

_That’s it, Waka. Give us your order,_ Ouka thought impatiently. This time she didn’t feel on the perspective of a friend, but as a hikeshi from Company 7 who anticipated orders from her leader.

Benimaru hoisted his fist up valiantly, an evil smirk crept on his mouth. “All of you start clobbering with each other! Doesn’t matter how if you’re fake or real! The people of Asakusa will not be outdone by a bunch of impostors! Don’t worry. The 7th will see to the fires and the Infernals. Beat each other up for all your worth!”

To wrap up Benimaru’s wild speech, some men from the 7th even launched fireworks made from their pyrokinesis as if to celebrate some sort of festival.

“Fight fest!” The people of Asakusa cheered among themselves as they started beating each other up.

Ouka put down the pails that she’d been carrying to burst into laughter. “As usual, I’m not fond of that idiot’s way of solving a problem,” her attention reverted to the white-clad guy standing with his back on her, “But I’m willing to ignore it tonight so I get a legit excuse to kick this guy’s ass!”

The white-clad guy seemed perplexed by the twist of event as he scrunched up his face in disgust. “How barbaric! This is not art,” he whined.

“Then eat shit!” Ouka roared enthusiastically. She threw both pails of water at the guy before he could even turn around to see her.

“W-what?” he stuttered, whirling to his back in stimuli.

At that very moment, Ouka saw the familiar red cross imprinted on his white armor suit. Her mind instinctively recalled all those bad memories from two years ago.

It was the same red cross worn by the person who fought against her at the top of Asahanada Hill, the same person who bestowed her 3rd Generation abilities—and the same person who turned her father into an Infernal.

“Bearers of the red cross, all of you come from the same cult, don’t you?” she hissed, getting riled up upon discovering the culprits of every tragedies that befell Asakusa all this time.

A maelstrom of feelings—shock, rage, grief and thrill, created a large knot in her stomach, making her want to vent it out in a violent rush. She swung her three-section staff in one powerful swoop to unfold it. Her eyes gleamed again as she used her pyrokinesis. 

“Suzaku no Mai: Akane.”

Ouka’s weapon glowed in crimson red for a moment, then fire blazed through it. She charged at the white-clad guy without wasting any second until a strong tingling sensation strike her heart again. She froze, her left hand shot up to her chest while the other one still holding on to her weapon. Unable to bear the pain, she dropped to a crouch and heaved a loud gasp as another vision came to her. 

She witnessed Shinra and Arthur from the 8th being attacked by a Demon Infernal.

“The 8th are in danger!” She uttered.

Her enemy’s eyes widened in surprise like he had learnt something new. “This person… Don’t tell me,” he mumbled, more to himself, “She’s similar to that Shinra guy.”

The same eerie grin from when he observed the chaos earlier had resurfaced. “You’re having an Adola Link, which means that you’re also an Adola Burst wielder! My, what an amazing discovery!”

He staggered back and casually made his leave. “I have to report this precious information to my commander. Therefore, I can’t get myself hurt by you right now.”

“Wait!” She felt like the pain in her heart took ages to fade away, but in reality, it was probably just a few seconds. Ouka then rose up to chase him.

Meanwhile, Benimaru came to Shinra and Arthur’s rescue by dealing with the Demon Infernal himself. He hopped onto a matoi and use it like a flying broom with his firepower. He dashed straight at the Infernal before sending it up to the sky as high as possible, so he could annihilate it without causing damage to Asakusa.

Ouka saw the blazing trails of fire. Her mouth curved into a small uptick, knowing that Benimaru was behind it. Yet it didn’t stop her from pursuing the white-clad guy—until her heart did that ‘thing’ again. But this time she managed to resist the shock without falling to the ground.

“Save Beni… Shinra!” 

“Konro?” Ouka heard Konro’s cry for help, more like loud and clear in her mind. She also saw a vision of Shinra with a pair of skeleton legs, much to her surprise and horror.


	7. Chapter 7

“Save Beni!”

Ouka frantically searched for Benimaru’s trail of fire in the sky, instantly spotted a big flame arrow heading toward him. The brief connection she felt with Konro and Shinra was truly bizarre, but there’s no room for thinking when her comrade is in danger. Both Shinra and her rushed toward the flame arrow simultaneously, except she was running on the ground while he soared upward with his 3rd Generation ability that dwelled in his feet.

 _I could use ‘Suzaku no Mai’ to crush the arrow completely,_ she thought to herself.

She experienced a flashback from when she had a conversation with Benimaru and Konro one year ago.

_Asakusa, Tokyo, Solar Year 197_

“The people from Haijima are aware of your hybrid ability, which means that they got their eyes on you all the time,” Konro warned Benimaru.

“Huh, those cowards probably afraid of me throwing a rampage on their turfs with my power.” Benimaru scowled. “Look at us now… Entitled to a forced friendship whatsoever with Haijima.”

Konro averted his sight from Benimaru to Ouka. “Your hybrid ability is artificial, and apart from us in Company 7, no one else knows about this.” He caught a quick frown from the latter, perhaps of worry.

“It’ll be fine, Ouka. As long as you don’t use your 3rd Generation ability frequently, nobody will find out the nature of your power,” he added with a smile.

A long sigh from Ouka. “Well, we can rest easy on that. My hybrid ability doesn’t come in handy like Waka’s. I can’t use it for a long period.” 

“That’s because your body isn’t strong enough to withstand your new power,” Benimaru commented. “You weren’t born with 3rd Generation ability, thus your body wasn’t prepared when you gained that power. Fret not, there’s always room for improvement. Just don’t push yourself to exceed your limits.” 

He slanted a concerned look at Ouka. “Or else you’ll break.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” she muttered.

Konro took a chance to speak again. “Anyway, keeping Ouka’s hybrid ability a secret is the most appropriate action. There must be a reason why you were granted 3rd Generation ability, and I have a hunch that it’s for a bad purpose. If the perpetrator learns of this, he might return to Asakusa.” 

“Besides, I wouldn’t want Haijima to set a leash on you like how they did to Beni.” This time he got a frown from Benimaru, but it was of protest.

Benimaru crossed his hands over his chest. “Heh, who says leashed dogs can’t go feral and bite their owners? I’ll do whatever I want. Haijima be damned.”

Konro and Ouka merely grinned at their captain’s obstinacy.

_Asakusa, Tokyo, Solar Year 198_

“I don’t give a shit at enemies learning my circumstances right now,” Ouka murmured to herself as she leapt from roofs to roofs. “If my comrades are in danger, I’m giving it my all to save them!”

Just then, Garo appeared in front of her with her kagura suzu in his mouth. She’d conjured him when she was putting away fires with the 7th earlier, ordered him to fetch her kagura suzu at the HQ.

“Nice job, Garo.” she acclaimed as the wolf vanished into thin air.

Ouka held her kagura suzu with her mouth, then twirled her three-section staff for several seconds before shifting her stance into a standby state.

“Suzaku no Mai: Amenonuhoko.”

Angry blue flame blazed through her three-section staff and growing rapidly until it took the shape of a double-sided blade twice the size of the staff.

Meanwhile up in the sky, Benimaru stole a downward glance to see Shinra catching up to a flame arrow that was heading at him. He also noticed a familiar flicker of blue moving in the distance.

 _Ouka and Shinra, huh? I’m counting on you two._ His gaze reverted to the Demon Infernal above him. He entrusted his back to both of them because he had to restrain his opponent from running away.

Shinra kicked the flame arrow, struggling to deflect it with all his might.

Ouka ran and leapt from roofs to roofs, building up speed before she used her weapon to thrust herself upward like a pole vault athlete. Her blue flame worked in a manner of a rocket launching straight up after ignition. When she was halfway up in the air where Shinra is, her free hand grabbed the kagura suzu in her mouth. She was aware of the time limit she can use her artificial 3rd Generation ability. Therefore, she had to be quick in doing her special moves.

She froze and shut her eyes to concentrate.

“Shirasagi no Mai: Aizome.”

Ouka reopened her eyes, once again gleaming in emerald green, to get his attention.

“Shinra!” She howled at the top of her lungs.

“Homare-san?”

She swung her kagura suzu with all her strength, so that the sound could reach Shinra.

Right after Shinra listened to the bells, he felt an indescribable new force gushing through his veins. He felt strangely revitalized and his body seemed to cool down a bit. He took this chance to boost his firepower without having to worry of reaching his limit.

“Crush that damn arrow, Shinra Kusakabe!” Ouka implored as her blue flame began to fade out.

“I’m going to be a hero that saves everyone with my flames!” Shinra yelled, as if sending a message to someone. “I’m going to prove that now!”

“I’m Kick-This-Away-Whatever-It-Takes Man!” Mustering every ounce of his strength, he successfully deflected the flame arrow with vigor.

Ouka let out a relieved smile as she outstretched her body, letting gravity pulled her back to Earth. Her blue flame had vanished completely, and the massive double-sided blade shrunk into a three-section staff.

She was saved by one of Benimaru’s flying matoi though, which the latter summoned to help him finished the Demon Infernal off. As if realizing that his matoi reached her, Benimaru released his control on it, letting Ouka took over it with her 2nd Generation ability. He then flung the rest of his matoi at the Demon Infernal, followed by his special move.

“Iai Chop, Form Seven: Sun Wheel!” 

The Demon Infernal was unfortunately an unyielding foe. Benimaru’s attack didn’t even leave a tiny scar on its body. Nonetheless, the citizens of Asakusa and Company 8 kept on cheering for him.

Ouka was also a witness of the incident. Yet, she didn’t dwell on it for long because her mind started to wander somewhere else. 

_Where are our enemies hiding at?_ She skimmed her surroundings warily.

Suddenly a flame arrow darted at her faster than she could detect where it came from. She didn’t even get to react as the arrow hit her. The impact of it sent her flailing in the air but Konro caught up to her before she landed on the ground.

He crouched down on one leg, holding Ouka in his arms. “Oi, Ouka. Ouka!” He called out several times but no answer.

Meanwhile, Benimaru delivered his finishing blow by imitating Konro’s technique. It was the same technique used by Konro to defeat a Demon Infernal two years ago. Konro’s head shot up at the sky to see what was going on.

From where Benimaru strikes the Demon Infernal, small cracks slowly appeared on its body until it exploded and turned into ashes. The tremendous explosion caused the night sky to be dyed in crimson red briefly. 

The final boss had been annihilated by the Demolishing King of Asakusa.

“That move,” Konro uttered. “The Crimson Moon…”

“Konro?”

Konro looked down upon hearing a weak voice calling his name.

“Ouka! Are you alright?”

“What? Of course I’m not,” Ouka grumbled weakly.

“You’re heavily wounded, Ouka. Hang in there!” He stood up and immediately brought her to the HQ to look after her injuries.

She forced her eyes to open a slit, and she saw Benimaru being carried around by Shinra.

“Ah, so Beni overexerts himself.”

Konro gave her a smile. “With that kind of explosion, of course he does.”

“Everyone did a good job protecting this town, don’t they?” Ouka asked.

“Yes. We’ll have to thank the folks from the 8th too. Particularly Shinra.”

Somewhere in a place not far from all the chaos, two white-clad figures were observing Asakusa smothered in crimson red.

“We confirmed that a second demon was born in the same spot. This is a bonanza.” One of them said. 

The other one was the guy who encountered Ouka earlier. “An Adolla Burst wielder is also identified here,” he chirped with satisfaction.

“Haran, your life wasn’t for naught.” The first person stated before they make their exit.


	8. Chapter 8

Ouka woke up to a world of gray void of mankind. It was an unusual land, with black flames rising from the ground and countless black skeletons scattered on it. She scrambled up and looked around, processing her current situation. Her mind perceived it as a dream but somehow, she doubted it when she felt faint heat from the black flames. 

A skeleton hand grasped her leg wrist from behind. Ouka yelped and instinctively jerked away from its harmless grip. As soon as she spun behind her, she spotted a shadowy silhouette watching her from a distance.

“Who’s there?” She took a few cautious steps forward, which gradually escalated into a resolute pace.

Ouka blinked her eyes thrice and the last time they lit up, she wasn’t in the strange world anymore. The silhouette and skeletons were nowhere to be seen. It took her a moment to register her surroundings and eventually recognized her dorm room in 7th HQ. She tried to sit upright but her body protested in pain. 

“Uwah, Ouka is awake!” Hinata said, almost eagerly, when she heard Ouka hissed in pain.

Hikage padded across the room deliberately, knowing what should be done. “I’ll go inform Konro and Waka. Might as well bring breakfast for Ouka. You want anything, Hina?” 

Hinata shook her head in response to her twin sister’s question. Hikage disappeared behind the sliding door after that.

Ouka tried to speak but all she could muster was a raspy voice, perhaps from morning grogginess. “What happened? Why am I here?”

Hinata raised her eyebrows at her. “An enemy knocked you out real bad last night. Konro saved you and bring you here to get treatment. Remember?”

A beat of silence as Ouka finally pulled herself together. “I remember now.” She lifted her hand to touch her other hand, which was wrapped in a splint, but she suddenly moaned in pain again.

“Wait a minute. Don’t even think of moving, Ouka. Can’t you see how battered up you are right now? Almost half of your body is covered in bandage.” Hinata’s tone was sharp with concern and slightly angry.

Ouka merely surrendered. “Okay. Where’s everyone?” she asked.

“Helping the townspeople repair things at town.”

“Ah… I feel bad lying on this futon, so comfy and relaxing, while the rest are busy working,” Ouka whined joylessly. She lost her motivation at the thought of being bedridden for days. Not only she wouldn’t be able to fulfil her responsibility, she’d be bored brainless by inactivity.

“Geez, you were beaten up by an enemy. It’s not like you can help it,” Hinata tried to uplift her spirit. “Why don’t you take this opportunity to slack off from duty—legally? You don’t have to get back to work any sooner. Take your sweet time to recover while enjoying your hobbies or something. You love reading books, right?”

“She can’t even flinch a finger in that condition.” Benimaru said upon sliding the door open to reveal Konro and the people from 8th, who came together to pay her a visit.

“You guys!” Ouka, unable to contain her delight, forced herself to sit upright in order to be more welcoming to her visitors. She was really glad to see everyone safe and sound. 

Konro was first to step forward and sat seiza-style next to her, followed by the others. Later, she was surrounded by comrades and acquaintances. Their presence somewhat gotten rid of the gloomy atmosphere in her room.

“Don’t worry, Ouka. Take a break for as long as you want. You need it after all.” Konro began. “Does your body feel extremely painful at any parts? Any weird feelings that make you feel funny or sick?”

“Apart from random throbbing that happened whenever I moved an inch, I’m good.” Ouka answered.

“Then don’t move. In fact, you shouldn’t even be sitting like this. Doesn’t it hurt?” Benimaru retorted. “As far as I am concerned, your body received many severe wounds and you even broke one of your arms.”

“Sitting doesn’t hurt.” Ouka replied matter-of-factly.

“I’m sure it hurts.” Benimaru refused to believe her words.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Ouka sent him a dead stare. Benimaru’s expression remained flat as usual.

Konro could only sigh in exhaustion at their bickering. He turned to look at the 8th captain as he remembered that their visit was supposed to be a short one, “Sorry for keeping you guys longer here. Is there anything you want to say to Ouka before we leave?”

Obi gave him a small laugh before he spoke to Ouka. “Nothing much. I just hope you get well soon, Homare-san, so you can return to your job in one piece.”

“How nice of you, Captain Obi,” Ouka thanked him. She took this chance to ask him a question that had been on her mind since she first regained consciousness. “How is your investigation faring?”

This time, Lieutenant Hinawa stepped up to answer. “About the Evangelist-involved company that we’ve mentioned before, their office was burnt down. We believed that they did it to destroy all evidence.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate. They’re definitely the culprits behind the chaos last night.” Ouka’s expression turned grim. She felt pain just from clutching her blanket with her fists, but she ignored it as hate and anger seeped through her.

Noting the tension she radiated, Shinra opened his mouth to speak. “Um, Homare-san?” he stuttered.

She loosened up almost immediately and went back to her usual calm self. “Yes, Shinra?” 

“Uh, thanks for helping me back then, you know, when we wanted to save Captain Shinmon from the flame arrow.” He lowered his head in an apologetic manner. “And I’m sorry for what happened to you. I was the one who spotted her in the first place. I was the one who attacked her first. But she got to you instead.” 

A beat of silence as Ouka weighed the meaning of his words. Her face lit up as she flashed him a wide smile. “Now, now. It wasn’t your fault at all. No need to be upset, Shinra. The enemy was nearby, they knew I was going for them, so they decided to take me down. Villain’s logic.” She tapped her temple with the tip of her finger.

Shinra raised his head back reluctantly. “Thank you very much, Homare-san.”

“No big deal, young lad,” Ouka brushed his thanks aside.

Obi looked at Maki and Tamaki. “Maki, Tamaki, you two got anything to tell Homare-san before we depart?”

“We wish you a speedy recovery, Homare-san. Thank you for taking care of us during our stay here.” Both of them offered a respectful bow as they said the last sentence. “The dinner you made was absolutely delicious.” 

“My, I’m flattered.” Ouka chuckled and shrugged their compliment off but didn’t try to hide the self-satisfaction look on her face. “Gotta thank some of the 7th guys as well. They did the cooking too.”

After Ouka expressed her gratitude to everyone for coming over, Konro and Benimaru took the 8th outside to bid them farewell, who will be heading back to Tokyo. Benimaru came back to her room afterwards to check on her.

“You didn’t finish your breakfast,” he remarked as he glanced down at the tray of food next to her futon.

Ouka casted a sideways glance at him. “As if I blithely dig right in at a time like this.”

“Hmph, suit yourself. Don’t even think of passing through this door until you’re fully recovered,” Benimaru warned her tiredly.

Ouka let out a relented sigh. “I won’t.” She went back to her lying position, whining in pain all the way, and rolled over to avoid Benimaru’s stare. Another sharp throb came from her sides this time, making her reposition herself to lying on her back. She squirmed out of discomfort, only to make more sounds that indicated she was in pain. Her own body almost drove her to tears.

“This is a terrible nightmare,” Ouka squeaked, her eyes fixed on the ceiling above her. “That flame arrow was destructive as heck.”

Benimaru crossed over the room toward her. “See? I told you to not move around recklessly.” 

“But I can’t just stay still like a toppled statue,” she shot back with an annoyed frown. “What if I want to—"

He caught her by surprise when he straddled her and pinned her down to her futon, his action too swift for Ouka to react.

“Then I’ll make you stay still, woman,” Benimaru whispered, his voice a mix of intimidation and concern.

“Get off me,” Ouka mumbled with a crooked smile. The glint in her eyes threatened to fight him back.

Benimaru blinked in astonishment at his own action but didn’t budge away. His face was still inscrutable to her. “I thought everything was over after I defeated the Demon Infernal. Not until I found out you were assaulted by our enemy.” 

He continued when the temper in Ouka’s eyes waned. “When I saw Konro carried you back to the HQ, you were in the most hideous state I never imagined you would be in; you were soaked in blood everywhere and unconscious. I don’t know how powerful that flame arrow is, but it absolutely left you in tatters.” He grimaced at the image of his memories from last night.

“Well, I’d say the attacker owns a strong will of flames,” Ouka testified. “In fact, I was kinda exhausted and lost focus at that time. If I sensed the incoming arrow any sooner, I could at least defend myself from it.”

“It would be a lie if I tell you I didn’t get worried,” Benimaru admitted. He lowered his gaze to hide it under his lashes. “Two years ago, Konro almost sacrificed himself to defeat an enemy. Although he was clearly worn out when I found him after the battle, I was more than relieved to see him there alive. I was furious at him for dismissing me from the battle before that, but deep inside me, I was totally grateful to able to talk to him again.”

Ouka wasn’t sure if she read it well, but she thought there was a wave of sadness in his eyes when they met hers again.

Benimaru’s voice dropped an octave in addition to a hint of solemn. “I don’t know how to put this. The sight of Konro and you almost gotten killed… scares me.”

Half a minute passed by in total silence. Benimaru got over it first and deliberately moved away from her.

“Sorry. You must’ve been uncomfortable.”

His words snapped Ouka out of her thoughts. She reached over and tug one of his sleeves after he no longer on top of her.

“Listen, Waka. I get what you’re trying to say. I won’t do things that will worsen my condition right now. I’ll stay quiet in my room like a sinner and focus on my recovery.”

Benimaru turned sideways to give her a confused look. “Stay quiet like a what?”

“Nothing,” she replied hastily. “By the way, it’s kinda refreshing, you know, witnessing this rare side of yours.” 

She added with a teasing smile. “The terrifying Demolishing King of Asakusa is capable of emotions. You do have a soft and sentimental—”

“You’re full of beans for someone who’s out of action. Want me to beat you senseless?” 

Ouka tried to stifle a laugh in response to Benimaru’s menacing look “These days I can’t even make a joke or two about you without getting scolded. You’ve no idea how much it makes me sad,” she complained offhandedly.

“Ugh, stop being sad.” Benimaru didn’t want to give up to the incapacitated woman beside him.

“But I am sad. Can you not be a jerk?” 

“But I’m a jerk.”

“How cheeky. The door is to your left, Captain.” Ouka let go of his sleeves to point out the door. 

“Heh.” Benimaru rose up to make his exit, but he paused abruptly to look at her again. “I told them about the circumstances two years ago that led to your artificial 3rd Generation ability.”

The playful spark in her eyes were gone, replaced by a serious glaze. “What did they say about it?”

“Apparently the Demon infernal I fought last night was the result of a strange bug,” Benimaru explained. “Based on the 8th research, some human combustion cases might have been caused by this particular bug. They don’t know what type of bug it is for the time being.”

He faced Ouka with his arms folded over his chest. “They also assumed that the bug is the reason behind your 3RD Generation ability. Remember that bastard from Company 1 who kidnapped kids for his artificial Infernal experiments?”

A brief respond from Ouka. “Hoshimiya Rekka.”

“Yes. One of the kids survived without becoming an Infernal.” Benimaru narrowed his eyes as he casted a knowing look at her. “He ended up gaining 3rd Generation ability—like you.”

Ouka looked away from Benimaru to digest all the information. She survived the disaster that struck Asakusa two years ago, with a new power in her grip, at the cost of her father’s life. She recalled getting into a fight with one of those white-clad people on Asahanada Hill. The guy must’ve used the bugs to turn her into an Infernal. She also recalled suffering from an unbearable burning sensation all over her body, to the point of losing consciousness. 

_What if the pain was actually my body combusting into inferno? Like the kid in Waka’s story, something inside me cancelled the process and eventually gave birth to my ability. Yet, Father turned into an Infernal._

Ouka’s mind travelled further into the past from where she rushed toward Asahanada Shrine to save it from a breaking fire. Her family was given the honor to watch over the shrine, and they’ve been doing it with full devotion for generations. The current shrine caretaker was her father, Homare Shinya, who possessed 2nd Generation ability like her. 

She was sent to help Homare Shinya extinguish the fire, on behalf of someone. The person couldn’t go there himself because he was severely injured. His voice was still fresh in her memories, especially when he yelled at her to go to the shrine rather than tending to his wounds.

After her mind found its way back to reality. Ouka tilted her head to meet Benimaru’s gaze. “According to what you’ve learnt from the 8th, what do you think happened to my missing brother?” Her tone was calm and even, but the desperation in her eyes told Benimaru otherwise.

“Your brother told you to go to Asahanada Shrine, only to disappear after the tragedy was over,” Benimaru implied. “Well, Konro and I talked about it just now. We’ve considered the most possible scenarios.”

He grunted and went to sit beside Ouka again. “1) Homare Issei was captured by the enemy and they took him away. 2) He swore allegiance to the enemy and fled away. 3) He died in a manner where we’re unable to claim his body.”

He let Ouka absorbed the information for a moment, only then did he resume his explanation. “I’m sure you’ve given the third possibility a thought before. Back then we had no idea that the disaster was actually orchestrated. All of us assumed that it happened by the will of nature. If a folk had gone missing, it could only mean death from fire or…” He trailed off speculatively.

Ouka could hear own heartbeat drumming in her ears as she spoke out her fear. “He turned into an Infernal.” Her eyes were still fixed on his, but her mind already drifted somewhere else. 

“I didn’t get the chance to tell this when the 8th was here.” She went on, “Last night, I encountered one of the white-clad guys. We even interacted for a second.”  
Benimaru blinked in mild surprise at her revelation.

Ouka broke their eye contact to stare at the ceiling above, trying to recollect the fateful encounter despite the dull ache in her head. “But he managed to escape. I think he mentioned unusual stuff like Adolla Link and how I am an Adolla Burst wielder. He was so eager to retaliate with his superiors to report it to them.”

This time Benimaru furrowed his eyebrows and inched closer. “I know nothing about Adolla Link, but the 8th did mentioned something about Adolla Burst. It is a unique kind of flame that resides within Shinra Kusakabe.”

“Shinra?” Ouka’s head turned suddenly, her wide-eyed reaction reflected on Benimaru’s grim eyes. “What else do you know about this Adolla Burst, Waka? Please, tell me.” Her voice was on the verge of breaking as she pleaded.

“The 8th is still investigating it.” Benimaru could only offer a supportive pat on her shoulder. “In Hoshimiya Rekka’s case, Adolla Burst is the thing that saved the survivor kid from turning into an Infernal and bestowed him pyrokinesis. It is a pure flame that dwells within selected people, though no one is able to describe in what way it differs from other flames.”

For unknown reasons, tension was building up between Benimaru and Ouka. They probably knew where this conversation is going.

“The Evangelist whatsoever is searching for these people to accomplish some sort of agenda,” Benimaru finally said it out. 

A minute passed by in silence. Both of them were deep in thoughts until Ouka gave in to weariness.

“’That’s a load of crap’ is what I want to say, but the truth is right in front of me now.” She sighed anxiously with a forlorn smile. “I have so many questions...”

Benimaru watched her contemplating things over. She was talking steadily just now but otherwise she looked pale lying on the futon like a limp doll. 

“You look tired. Go to rest, Ouka. We’ll discuss more on this later.” Benimaru rose up to leave the room.

“Is Adolla Burst a bad thing?” Ouka muttered so quietly it wasn't clear whom she's addressing, eyes fixed on the ceiling. “Is it something used for evil purpose? How can I see this Adolla Burst for myself?”

Sensing an unfamiliar agitation from her, Benimaru met her eyes again as he tried to cheer her up. “After you discovered your 3rd Generation ability, there were times when your flames look outstandingly beautiful. Well, at least that’s how I perceive it.”

Ouka tilted her head at him again, curious.

“Maybe that’s what they meant when they say Adolla Burst is a pure flame.” His mouth curved into a smirk, but it wasn’t of malice. “And you’ve been using it for good deeds all this time. Even if it exists for an evil purpose, I believe you’re righteous enough to break the chains that bound you to your fate. Don’t forget that you got us, Company 7, behind you.”

Relief convulsed through him when Ouka’s tight face seemed to soothe down. She rolled over in her futon to show him an appreciative smile.

“Thank you, Waka—” She corrected her words, “Thank you, Captain!”

Benimaru merely headed toward the door without a reply, but Ouka caught a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Now that she was alone in her room, her bright expression faded out with all thoughts weighing down on her.

_Hadn’t it been for my father’s death and missing brother, I’d appreciate my 3rd Generation ability more._


	9. Chapter 9

Three days of being confined to bed later, Ouka finally returned to her normal life as a Fire Soldier. A few guys from the 7th and her prepared breakfast for the entire unit.

After settling with Konro and Benimaru regarding tasks to be done that day, she went to Asahanada Shrine to tend to it.

“Whoa. The whole place is spick and span,” Ouka acclaimed, slightly amazed with her surroundings. “You said the folks took care of the shrine in my absence, right?”

“Yeah.” Although Ouka wasn’t facing him, Benimaru looked away to hide the fact that he also helped them out back then.

Ouka clasped her hands at her back, beaming a smile at the shrine that had been her family’s pride for years. “Gotta get ready for the dance ritual tonight,” she said almost to herself.

“Looking forward to it.” This time Benimaru directed his gaze at her in approval.

“It’ll be a special ceremony tonight, since I need to offer prayers to those who turned Infernal days ago,” she added.

Concern lit up in Benimaru’s eyes as he scrutinized Ouka’s expression. A quiet sigh of relief escaped from his lips when she showed no signs of agitation or gloom.

“Yeah,” he replied abruptly. “There’s nothing much for us hikeshi to do today, so feel free to get our help or anything.” With those last words, he turned around to head back to the HQ.

Ouka waited until Benimaru was out of sight, then she walked to the shrine building. She picked up her kagura suzu, closed her eyes to concentrate, and began dancing.  
  
Besides from taking care of Asahanada Shrine, the Homare family was entrusted to carry out sacred dances that served spiritual purposes to traditional ceremonies and special occasions. She’d watched her father did the dance when she was a child; during New Year celebration, summer and winter festivals, post-disaster rituals. In terms of humanity’s current predicament, a post-disaster ritual could be a farewell ceremony to multiple victims of Infernalization—and the latter was the reason Ouka had to dance tonight. She was taught to dance at the age of twelve, with the expectation of becoming the next caretaker of Asahanada Shrine alongside her eldest brother. 

The deaths of her father and brother(?) two years ago surely took a toll on her mind and spirit. Carrying the weight of her role as the sole caretaker of Asahanada Shrine, she kept all her negative feelings at bay and never let them eat at her. The emblem of Company 7 she held proud on her back also contributed to her mental perseverance.

Images of the mysterious white clad guys reappeared in Ouka’s mind. Not only did they killed her dad and probably related to her brother’s disappearance, they almost reduce Asakusa to a sea of flames. 

_I swear I’ll make those bastards perish–_

“Hit the brakes, Ouka. Your moves are hideously fast and aggressive.”

Ouka immediately froze upon hearing Benimaru’s voice, which led to a concomitant recovery from her erupting thoughts. She turned to look at the shrine archway, where he stood with his arms folded on his chest.

“W-why are you still here?”

Benimaru rubbed the back of his neck as he approached a flustered Ouka. “To be honest I kinda miss seeing you dance, so I thought I’d stayed behind to watch your practice for a minute.”

He kept his discerning stare on her. “You’re not supposed to dance like that. Is there something actually bothering you?”  
  
“Ah, I’ve forgotten the steps.“

“Uh-huh.”

A loud sigh from Ouka, followed by a pair of slumped shoulders. “Geez, you always see through me, Waka. I wonder how you’re so good at reading minds?”

An uptick formed at the corner of his mouth, but his tone remained even. “How many times must I say this?” He slackened his expression. “You’re just bad at hiding your feelings.”

“Your face says it all,” he added when Ouka squinted at him.

“I can’t help but think of those evil guys.” Ouka went to sit at the shrine staircase. She hugged her knees together and laid her chin on them as she stared emptily at nothing. “And Adolla Burst.”

“Well, now you don’t. Because I’m here,” Benimaru came to sit beside her. “Anytime your mind gets sidetracked by trifling stuff, I’ll smack you back to reality.”

Ouka reacted with a dry smile. “Sounds like you’re babysitting a pathetic woman who does nothing but feel mopey all day.”

“That might be true to some degree,” Benimaru retorted. “But don’t call yourself pathetic. You’re not the type who gets mopey for petty reasons.”

They sat in silence after that, staring into the distance. Benimaru broke the silence first by giving her a sidelong glance. “Is it because of the chaos a couple of days ago?”

Ouka blinked without realizing it as if Benimaru’s assumption was correct. “I finally found the people behind my father’s death. Not to mention that I possess something that our enemies want,” she mumbled discouragingly.

“You’re sad?” Benimaru implied.

“No. I’m furious at them.”

“Don’t be mad.”

“Very helpful advice.”

Their eyes met each other before Benimaru looked away first. He propped his elbow on his thigh and leaned his chin on his palm. “I wish Konro’s here... He has a way with words that sometimes bring comfort to people.”

His face was inscrutable, but Ouka managed to read him from his intonation. Her lips parted into a grin. “Now, now. Talking to you is still a good therapy for me.” She bumped her shoulder against his in a friendly gesture.

“Uh-huh,” Benimaru murmured.

Ouka cackled softly. “It’s the truth!” She pulled herself up and brushed dirt off her hikeshi suit.

“Alright, I want to get back to dancing practice.”

“See you later. I’ll let you dance alone in peace.” Benimaru was about to make his leave when Ouka interfered.

“Perhaps you can stay if you want,” she suggested. “Just don’t make any noise while I’m dancing. Yeah, you may leave too. Feel free to decide.”

“I’ll stay for a while.” Benimaru finalized his decision in three seconds. He then returned to the shrine staircase to sit there.

Asahanada Shrine was packed with the citizens of Asakusa eager to watch the Maiden of Asahanada dancing to Hanaboshi. The sacred dance acted as a farewell ritual to multiple people who turned into Infernals at the same time. Everybody had been anticipating it in order to pay tribute to the dead. It was supposed to take place the day after the chaos with Company 8, but sadly the Maiden of Asahanada herself was bedridden. 

Homare Ouka was specially-dressed for the ceremonious night. She tied her black hair into a traditional Japanese bun that is held by three long golden needles, composed by a long red ribbon which formed a five-petal flower. Her kimono was white overlapped by a dark purple one with flower petal motifs. They were tied together neatly with a big maroon bow which has white borders and covered with an embroidered ruby red robe flowing down to her feet. To add some glow to her face, she wore light pink shadow and cherry lipstick. The touch of red on her style tonight complemented her emerald green eyes in an elegant way.

“How do I look?” she asked Hinata and Hikage. Her stomach felt funny and she could feel her heart beating fast due to anxiety, but she held it back easily. 

“Spectacular.” The twins nodded their heads in approval. “As expected, a woman’s beauty shines the brightest in their prime youth. With the right adornments, a maiden may bloom into the most exquisite flower in the garden. The lucky man who gets to pluck it will be blessed with eternal joy if he handles the delicate flower with care and love.”

A wry smile appeared on Ouka’s face as she tried to suppress a laugh. “Did Benimaru talk like that before?”

Hinata and Hikage exchanged quick glances as if discussing a plan among themselves. They got closer to her hesitantly.

“Um, Ouka,” Hina interacted with her.

“Yes?”

“We want to give you something,” Hika followed along. She took out a dark purple small pouch from her kimono band. The pouch was attached to a long black ribbon, meant to be worn on a person’s neck.

“Hope you like the lucky charm,” Hina said cheerfully.

Ouka’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of them giving her the pouch. She cupped her hands to let Hika gently dropped it there. “Why, how nice of you two. Thank you!” Pure bliss radiated on her face as she wore it on her neck and kept it under her kimono.

Her gaze was fixed on the lucky charm until Konro’s voice echoed from outside the HQ. 

“Are you ready, Ouka? You should head to the shrine now.”

“Yes!” Ouka strode to the door and slid it open. Hina and Hika closely trailed behind her like two flower girls escorting a female bride down the aisle.

The way Konro stared at her resembled a father who never thought his beautiful daughter could be extra beautiful on her special day. 

“You look amazing, Ouka,” he acclaimed. “Go on. Walk tall, my comrade. Sorry I can’t be there to watch your dance.”

“Don’t force yourself, Konro. You deserve some rest.” Ouka was aware of his Tephrosis, so she simply let it go.

As she walked toward Asahanada Hill, she received starry-eyed looks from literally everyone who saw her. Some of them even threw words of encouragement at her, knowing she might feel nervous for the ritual.

“Good luck, Ouka,” the twins wished her as soon as they arrived at the shrine. They stayed behind with the crowds while Ouka proceeded toward in front of the shrine building, alone. Stone lanterns lit the area in mellow orange and yellow.

The noise level of the crowd declined to a complete silence when Ouka raised her hands and gathered them into a fist, a gesture of prayer. She bowed down a little and remained like that for a moment, signaling her presence to the gods.

Somewhere to her left, a small group of musicians played traditional instruments to create harmonization between the art of dancing and music. Ouka unbowed at the first beat of the taiko drum. The next thing, she began dancing along with the music. 

The Fire Soldier cum Maiden of Asahanada shouldering years of history performed her Hanaboshi dance as a gift to the dead. Exuding all the grace and poise of a ballerina in her refined steps, she illuminated the hearts of Asakusa folks with sparks of hope. The gentle chimes of the two kagura suzu in her grip echoed through the hill, imbuing peace and serenity into everyone’s souls.

Benimaru was casually watching her dance when an old woman beside him said, “No matter how many times I see it, I never get used to how beautiful it is.”

“Indeed.”

“Ah, I guess it runs in the family. Shinya used to be a great dancer before he passed down the role to his kids.” The old woman reminisced old memories with a nostalgic look on her face. “His moves were sturdy and fervent compared to his daughter; nimble and graceful.”

Benimaru smiled at her words. “Nonetheless, the way they dance to Hanaboshi are still mesmerizing.”

“Waka!”

He glanced over his shoulder to see Hina and Hika pushing themselves among the hordes of people to reach him. “Good gracious. Where did you two have been all this time?”

“We were looking for you, alright,” Hina snapped.

“We can’t see anything from here. Why must the adults be so tall?” Hika ranted.

Benimaru sighed and squated down to talk to them. “For the sake of being loud, get on my shoulders.”

“Yay!” 

Both of them got on his shoulders before he stood up again effortlessly.

“It’s kinda wholesome to see Ouka in those colorful garments and makeup,” Hina admitted.

“Yes,” Hika continued, “She still looks like our strong Ouka despite the absence of her hikeshi suit and three-section staff.” 

Benimaru smiled. “A woman doesn’t have to be snarky or swing a weapon around to be strong. That’s what Konro told me when Ouka first joined our team.”

“A woman can be sweet, simple and kind—and still be strong. Though Ouka wasn’t entirely sweet to begin with. She’s a pain in the ass sometimes.” His voice dropped into a scorn as he said the last two sentences. “Anyway, strength isn’t necessarily just physical. It can be emotional as well. Even after learning about the loss of her father and brother, Ouka stayed strong by forcing herself to move on.”

His mouth curved into a playful smirk. “Boy, I had a vague recollection of her weeping while sparring with me a few times after the disaster.”

“Ara, I remember too,” Hika proclaimed. “Waka asked her if she needed a break or end the sparring session, but she wiped tears off her eyes and yelled, _my eyesight is no longer blurry. Shall we continue?_ ”

Hina chuckled as she shared her part of the memory. “Fufu. And she definitely stopped crying afterwards. Waka had this confused look on his face all the time.”

“I don’t—” Benimaru fired back.

“Yes, you did. Of course you didn’t realize it yourself.” Hina cut in.

A relented sigh from Benimaru. Realization suddenly flickered in his eyes. “Did you give her the lucky charm?”

Hina and Hika exchanged gleeful smirks, then answered, “Yes. Apparently, she comes to adore it, even after we told her someone else made us give it to her.”

Benimaru failed to hide his genuine smile which slowly surfaced into sight. “Glad to hear that.”


End file.
